Looking to the east (Hikuai side) with pile casings on the ground. Photo / Waka Kotahi
Looking to the east (Hikuai side) with pile casings on the ground. Photo / Waka Kotahi
The construction of a viaduct bridge at the damaged SH25A Taparahi site is well under way with work above the ground started and the first two structures visible at Pier B.
Waka Kotahi has provided a progress update:
Abutment A and D: We poured the blinding concrete at Abutment Dand have landed both Abutment A and Abutment D reinforcement cages. The team is now fixing and forming the cages for our first abutment pour later in the week.
Pier B: Concrete pile pours at Pier B were completed, which included our deepest pile to date - 41 metres. This is double the depth of the other piles (about 22 metres deep). These piles have already been cropped and undergone integrity testing. The team has started installing the column cages for the bridge, two of four have been installed at Pier B. We can now see the structure appearing out of the slip floor (as per the photo).
Pier C: We completed the working platform at Pier C and moved our piling rig into position. We’ve drilled out the four piles and poured the first one today. Once we’ve finished the remaining three pours this will mark the completion of the Taparahi bridge piling activity. This means our piling rig and crew will be demobilising and head off-site to another project.
Off-site: The steel bridge girders continue to make their way through the paint booth in preparation for transport to the site later this month. Also in production are the precast concrete elements and the rails which will run along the top of the bridge barriers.
A rendering of the works under way. Image / Waka Kotahi
First above ground bridge structures appear
It’s an exciting time for the team on site with two of the four-column cages installed at Pier B. This means construction of the actual bridge structure is under way.
The construction of the bridge structure with the first above the ground bridge structures and two of the four column cages installed at Pier B.
Our annual summer maintenance season is upon us and we have a steady programme of work to get through. Maintenance is carried out every summer because it’s the best time of the year to do it while the weather is warm and dry. You can view the Waka Kotahi 2023/2024 road works season here.
If you’re out on the road, keep an eye out for traffic management and crew who are doing pre-sealing repairs. Other areas you can expect to see traffic management include:
SH2 Karangahake Gorge – rockfill embankment completed. Now stabilising when weather permits.
SH25 Ruamahanga Bay – clearing slip material, investigating, stabilising and clearing vegetation.
